UNWELCOME WAGON

Methadone Treatment in Halton

An ominous letter that has been circulating around Aldershot in recent
weeks has whipped some residents into a frenzy about this fall's
arrival of a Plains Road health clinic that will offer, among other
things, methadone treatment to drug-dependent patients.

The letter, along with media reports about the pain management and
dependency clinic - called Wellbeings - has upset some who believe the
clinic will spawn drug trafficking and other related crime. The
clinic's proximity to a nearby school has also been challenged.

However, it's important to note that the letter's author- Dr. Kiara
Galbreath of neighbouring Plains Road business Integrative Touch
Incorporated - advertises that her own treatment centre offers
acupuncture, which is used for a host of ailments, including
addictions to drugs and cigarettes.

News of Wellbeings' pending arrival has even left some elected
officials with opposing viewpoints about the clinic's choice of location.

Aldershot-area Councillor Rick Craven has said he's comfortable with
the new clinic after having had a chance to discuss its services with
Executive Director Peggi DeGroote.

Halton District School Board trustee Mary Dilly is more apprehensive
about the clinic and says she wants additional information, given its
proximity to Maplehurst Public School.

What can't be disputed is the need for methadone treatment programs in
Halton.

Last fall, Betty-Lou Kristy made an emotional plea to the region's
health and social services committee for a Methadone Maintenance
Treatment (MMT) program.

She insisted that her 25-year-old son, Pete, might not have died from
a multiple drug overdose had methadone treatment existed in Halton.

"Had this been available for Pete, I know unequivocally that he would
be standing before you today," Kristy had told committee members.

A report received by the same committee last October noted that there
are between 450-900 potential methadone treatment patients living in
Halton, with 281 regional residents currently registered with MMT
programs outside Halton.

There is a real danger of playing Not- In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) politics
with this Health Canada-recognized form of treatment.

The assumption that a clinic that makes methadone treatment available
will increase drug trafficking in a neighbourhood is akin to
concluding that a clinic treating sexually-transmitted disease will
cause an increase in neighbourhood prostitution.

There is endless medical evidence that methadone treatment helps
addicts manage their dependency to the point of saving lives.

Peggi DeGroote should be applauded and supported for stepping up with
the intent of helping people whose lives hang in the balance because
of their addictions. Instead, she has been made to feel unwelcome.

Centuries ago, our ignorance about leprosy forced those with the
disfiguring disease to be banished and isolated to secluded colonies.
Do we now propose the same for Halton residents who find themselves
dependent on drugs?

Our health care system is based on the principle of providing
accessible treatment to all.

We believe it's time for a Halton solution to this societal problem.
Ignoring it and hoping it moves to another neighbourhood, or region,
is not the answer.